A Weekend in the Woods

The Targeted

Bringing their impressive 33rd season to a fine finale, A Red Orchid Theatre presents a powerful world premiere drama. It’s a  story with so many locations that the company chose to present the production at the larger Chopin Theatre, rather than in their own intimate space on Wells Street. Scenic designer Lauren M. Nichols rises to the occasion by creating a large, practical stage set featuring an outdoor amphitheater with bench seats for the cast that brings the audience right into the play. She’s also created the interior of two cabins, complete with bunkbeds, as well as a cafeteria where guests gather for meals, craft sessions, discussions and lectures. It’s all part of a weekend in the woods with THE TARGETED.

Jeff-nominated playwright and screenwriter, Hanna Kime, (DOGS; THE BEST DAMN THING) has crafted a  new, 95-minute tragicomedy about a gathering of like minds at a forest retreat. It’s called the Solidarity and Truth Summit. The international group all consider themselves to be Targeted individuals. This conference is for the mutual sharing of experiences and the  planning of strategies for future survival. The people are all united in their belief that they’re victims of some sort of secret surveillance and harassment, controlled by global governmental powers. These folks passionately believe that they’re the prey of the deep state. The 37 men and women attending this conference are desperately striving, against all odds, to maintain their humanity.

The conference is essentially a “groupthink.” The events and lectures are led by Jeff, one of the older members of the assemblage. Attending the congregation are a variety of people of all ages. They include Rhonda, a Targeted celebrity with the congregation, of sorts. She’s a woman with very strong convictions about the stalking and systematic torture that, like the others, she has experienced over the years. Rhonda achieved fame within the group for having written and published a monograph detailing her experiences. Didi is a senior member of the bunch. She arrives with Rhonda (“But we’re not lesbians”) and they appear to be friends, at least at first. However, as her painful physical afflictions become more pronounced and frequent, Didi begins to seem unbalanced. She starts warning the others to not listen to Rhonda. Eventually, the elderly woman’s uncontrolled rantings and wild hysteria requires the others to administer to her wellbeing. 

Eric and Mia, a brother and sister who share an apartment back home, have traveled to the retreat together, but for individual purposes. Eric, the younger sibling, strongly believes that within the government, the health system, and even possibly among space aliens, some villain has injected him with some kind of foreign vermin. The constant itching under his skin is driving the young man crazy. Mia, his older sister, is in medicine and spending her residency at the local hospital. Being an intelligent and pragmatic young woman, Mia has decided to join her brother for this conference in order to better understand Eric’s unfounded fear of everyone around him. But it’s an uphill battle.

And lastly, there’s Sherry, a pretty and seemingly even-tempered, accommodating young wife and mother. She’s also come to the conference harboring some reservations, but believing that her very existence is being threatened by covert surveillance. Sherry’s excited to meet Rhonda in person, because she’s read the woman’s book about the her observations and theories. Sherry finds many of their experiences and thoughts to be similar so the two women gravitate toward each other. Rhonda is determined to convince Sherry to sever her marital ties from a husband who doubts the validity of his wife’s afflictions. However, Sherry’s warned by Didi not to listen to Rhonda, since her own daughter was legally removed from her care.

Hanna Kime’s world premiere has been staged by Chicago-based director Grace Dolezal-Ng (BAKED!, Theo Ubique; RADIANT GRADIENT, Shattered Globe). Ms. Ng is a master of visceral storytelling, such as with this play. And she has elicited powerful performances from her talented cast. Lawrence Grimm is a talented ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre. He’s appeared in their productions of TURRET, TRAITOR, SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS and many others. As Jeff, he plays a regular guy who has taken it upon himself to lead this conference. Jeff, however, doesn’t really possess any special talents for doing so. His maturity is perhaps enough.   

Kirsten Fitzgerald, the Artistic Director of A Red Orchid Theatre, is one of Chicago’s finest actors. She owns any stage she steps foot on. Kirsten was seen at A Red Orchid in TRAITOR, IN QUIETNESS, EVENING AT THE TALKHOUSE and, my absolute favorite, GREY HOUSE. As Rhonda, Ms. Fitzgerald portrays a woman who’s emotions are off the charts. Rhonda is outspoken, her own boss and no one is able to tell her what to do. People walk on eggshells when around Rhonda. She doesn’t seem to have any control over what she says or does, and the repercussions often create severe problems with others. Kirsten Fitzgerald’s Rhonda is a powerhouse who positively dominates this story. 

One of my absolute favorite Chicago character actresses, Natalie West is hilarious and so endearing as Didi. Enjoyable in THE CAVE, REVOLUTION, TRAITOR and EVENING AT THE TALKHOUSE at A Red Orchid Theatre, Ms. West will be remembered for her portrayal of Crystal in the television series, “Roseanne” and “The Connors.” Her character’s blatant honesty, off-the-cuff commentary and innocent non sequiturs and bon mots all force the others at the Summit to stop and consider the truth of Didi’s words. Ms. West is the heartbeat of this production and one of the best reasons for seeing this play.

Another powerhouse performance comes from the always incredible, supremely gifted, Stephanie Shum, as Mia. Ms. Shum has appeared, to great acclaim, in YOU WILL GET SICK at Steppenwolf, HUMMINGBIRD, at the Goodman, GORGEOUS at Raven/Rivendell and MEN ON BOATS at American Theater Company. The frustration her character experiences in trying to understand her younger brother is palatable. We can feel her disappointment and defeat. Mia is an outsider with the group and must deal with the others’ reaction to her infiltrating their safe place. Mia’s motivation for being at this weekend retreat with her brother seems suspicious to most of the others, particularly to Rhonda. And it creates a whole lot of friction between the two women.

As Mia’s brother, Eric, Glenn Obrero shines. Although this is his debut with A Red Orchid, he’s impressed at Rivendell in both PIVOT and WIPEOUT, as well as at Shattered Globe in A TALE OF TWO CITIES and at TimeLine in THE CHINESE LADY. His portrayal of Eric is of a vulnerable young man who has just recently discovered this support group. He’s been easily swayed, and is now devoted to generating and believing all the conspiracy theories. Eric feels susceptible to every imaginable danger lurking in the unknown, but he doesn’t know what to do or who to trust.

And finally, Sadieh Rifai, another ensemble member of AROT, plays Sherry like a young child who suddenly finds herself in a big-girl world. She’s just begun to feel that she’s one of the hundreds of misunderstood victims who are being tortured by secret global powers, a covert organization who want nothing more than to torture and destroy the world. She can’t convince anyone of this, especially her husband, so Sherry’s experiencing a new feeling of comfort and safety with her new friends. They all  have similar feelings and theories, which makes these people comrads. Ms. Rifai was seen in GREY HOUSE, DO YOU FEEL ANGER and THE CAVE.

THE TARGETED is a play for the theatergoer who enjoys a drama filled with tension and dark humor. It’s for audiences who like a story that borders on being a thriller, while making them think and reconsider the comfort of their status quo. Don’t expect stock answers to the questions posed in this play. Whether these feelings of being misunderstood and persecuted are valid, is up to each audience member. The final scene is especially open-ended, the discussions and quarrels in between are never-ending and when the audience leaves this weekend in the woods they’ll take plenty of material for further discussion. But one thing is sure: theatergoers will never forget their weekend meeting with THE TARGETED.   

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented May 7-June 14 by A Red Orchid 1531, presented at The Chopin Theatre on their Main Stage, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling 312-943-8722 or by going to www.aredorchidtheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.

Photos by Evan Hanover